Just a Little Bit Caught in the Middle
by Xami Howlett
Summary: Being a mutant is hard enough, but being caught in between looking normal and looking like a devil makes it worse. When Wilma Hellex is sent to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters she finds herself caught in the middle of more than she thought possible.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** Much to my dismay I do not own the X Men comics, movies, or Hugh Jackman. I would if I could, but I can't. I can still dream though.

The story begins when Logan is in Canada between X1 and X2.

Mark Twain once said, "I have no color prejudices nor caste prejudices nor creed prejudices. All I care to know is that a man is a human being, and that is enough for me; he can't be any worse" Considering Mark Twain was an author I find it strange that he can't imagine that it could be any worse. Twain had obviously not heard of the mutant race, and therefore was not able to publicly extend his love of equality toward our kind, or he was just another mutant hating bastard.

As an 18 year old mutant I was sent to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters so I could continue my education. Like most mutants my powers set me apart greatly from my fellow human beings. However not only am I the minority in the human race, I am also the minority in the mutant race. I do admit that quite a bit of mutants do have strange physical attributes, but most of them are minor and easily excused or hidden. Being my normally lucky self I happen to not be able to hide my physical "attributes." Due to this dilemma my surprisingly accepting father ended up sending his only daughter to a mutant boarding school.

My name is Wilma Jamison Hellex, mostly know as Will, but some refer to me as Hellex, Willie, Hell, Devil, or Blondie. I actually prefer Betwixt. I took it as my mutant name, because while my mutation does give me the power to create varying sized balls of deadly raw energy it also gave me black horns, and random patches of blue scales all over my body, luckily I don't have a tail…yet. Therefore I consider myself caught in between being human and devil, and since betwixt is the archaic form of between I thought it was only fitting.

I've been here for barely over a month and have been receiving freshman year college classes from the teachers when they aren't teaching other classes, because I can't attend public schools due to my lovely horns and scales.

Much to my astonishment I actually was able to make friends with some of the mutants close to my age. I still get the feeling that they're a tad bit uneasy around me, but I can't really blame them, I don't look to friendly. I was however reassured of my friendship with three mutants a year younger than me named Rogue, Bobby, and John, when they bought me a novelty red hat that said "devil child" on it and had conveniently placed holes (courtesy of John's pocket knife I'm sure.) in the front for my horns. To most this gift would sound repulsive, but this gift gave me the ability to go out in public, and the power to mask my true nature and enjoy a small bit of freedom.

At first it was hard to become a part of their group. From afar they look like the three musketeers, but up close you could see that the group's relationship was slowly coming apart. John or Pyro as I liked to call him wasn't to fond of playing the part of third wheel. I think that's why they accepted my presence so easily. It wasn't my personality that won them over, but the chance to give Pyro someone to be with when Bobby and Rogue were off doing whatever it is that they do when they're alone. Thus I became the fourth member completing our little friendship "square." Little did I know our friendship square was about to be split apart.

That was just the prologue and I promise it will get better. Please review, because if I don't get any feedback I probably won't update very often.


	2. Nostalgia

**Disclaimer: The X Men movies and comics still only belong to me in my dreams. So obviously I still own nothing.**

I spent my entire morning in the Library at school looking for a book on cars and their internal structure for a course Professor Summers is giving me, and may I just say that man has a sick sense of humor. I mean sending a poor girl into a library with nothing, but a topic and no title, come on. What if the poor girl was easily sidetracked and ended up missing half of lunch, because she found a copy of Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet _and just had to read part of it. All because of Scotty-boy I was stuck eating by myself again.

"Blondie… Blondie, are you still in there?" I jerked quickly when Pyro poked me sharply in the side.

"Sorry, zoned out for a bit." I was still thinking of how I was going to explain to Professor Summers that I hadn't been able to find my book.

"You tend to do that a lot." That usual clicking and flicking of his lighter accompanied this statement. He was constantly fidgeting with that thing.

"I was under the impression that you had an early lunch with Bobby and Rogue today." I replied coolly.

"Well when you didn't show up I decided to wait for you." As he said this, his face was filled with a triumphant look.

"Is that supposed to impress me and make me feel good?" I asked at quizzically attempting to raise one eyebrow, but only succeeding in making myself look constipated instead of clever.

"Did it work?" He still possessed that smug smirk.

"I'm sad to say that surprisingly yes." His face now held undertones of shock. "It's a sad day when someone feels special, because of you. Considering the only reason you waited for me was, because unlike the normal mature boy your age you can't handle sitting next to two people in a relationship, while you have nothing to show in that department." After that little speech his smirk was instantly gone from his face.

"My waiting for you has nothing to do with Bobby and Rogue."

"So, you admit that you actually like my company?"

"I never said that." Strangely enough his voice sounded panic stricken.

"Wait let me get this straight. You pass up an early lunch where the food is actually hot, just so you can come and make fun of me and attempt to flirt with me in your own dysfunctional way?" Once again I attempted an eyebrow raise, but only succeeded in failing.

"Yes… I mean no. Yes I came to make fun of you. No I am not flirting with you." His tone was icy and defiant.

"You call it what you want, but we all know what it really is." I allowed a small smile and chugged down the rest of my water, put away my plate and left Pyro in the cafeteria pondering what I had just said.

Instead of doing my work I spent my afternoon walking around the school grounds avoiding Professor Summers and the library. I kept to the more secluded parts of the garden as not to be seen by civilians. As I rounded the corner of a hedge I came to the bench where I first met Rogue about a month ago.

_I was lost… hopelessly lost. I had just arrived at the school earlier that day. Dr. Grey had shown me around the Mansion, but unsuccessfully explained the gardens. I turned a corner hoping to catch a glimpse of the Mansion, but instead I found a girl who looked to be around my age sitting on a bench._

_She was a dark brunette with strange white highlights near her face. From her seated position I could tell that she was an average height and took part in some form of physical activity. The way her shoulders were hunched up around her ears causing her to lean her head forward and rest it on her gloved hands I assumed she was in some kind of distress. I reached out to touch her shoulder and stepped forward snapping a twig on the ground. _

_"Don't touch me." The southern accent was evident in her voice, but she showed no signs of looking up. I moved so I was now standing in front of her. At this point she jerked her head up to face me. I watched, as her eyes grew large as she took in my appearance. "I… I thought you were Bobby." She managed to say between frightened glances at my face. I reached out to her, but she flinched back. I quickly dropped my hand to my side._

_"My name is Wilma Hellex, but you may call me Will. Are you alright?" I knew my looks were frightening, but inside I wasn't._

_"I'm fine." Her tone was defiant. Instead of convincing me she was okay, she was challenging me to question her reaction. _

_"Well, you don't look it. Do I get to know your name? I'm a new student here." I raised both eyebrows and made eye contact with her letting her know I was not about to give up. _

_"My name's Rogue." I could tell that was all the information I was going to get out of her unless I changed the situation somewhat. _

_"Do you miss Mississippi?" I tried to sound as nonchalant as possible._

_"What?" She tilted her head to the side as she looked at me._

_"Your accent. It's a Mississippi accent isn't?" I matched her head position. _

_"How did you know? Most people just hear it and think it's like every other southern accent." I could hear more sadness in her voice. Maybe this wasn't the right subject to switch too. _

_"My mother was from Georgia. I spent a good bit of my childhood down there and learned to differentiate one accent from another."_

_"Why are you telling me this?" She turned her head so her face was openly exposed to mine. She had a sweet face and green eyes that were red from where she had obviously been crying. _

_"I'm new and as much as I hate to admit it I'm desperate for a friend." This got a small smile from her. She stood up from the bench and shook my hand. I think she caught me looking at her gloves. _

_"It has to do with my mutation. My skin can't touch anyone. If it does it hurts them." She didn't come out and say it, but I had a hunch that was what she had been crying about. _

I was startled out of my nostalgic state by the sound of a motorcycle coming closer to the school. Being unnaturally curious I turned from the bench and headed straight towards the Mansion determined to find out who our new arrival was.

***Please review, I desperately need the feedback.***


	3. Impulse

If the events in my story aren't in perfect sync with the movie please don't be mad at me. I am not a professional and I am apt to make mistakes.

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the X-Men comics or movies and believe it or not I still haven't given up dreaming. **

I walked in the back door of the Mansion and found no one. I continued quietly walking through the hallways, making my way to the front of the building. As I got closer to the front door I began to hear voices. As I walked into the front hall I saw Rogue standing by Bobby as he shook the hand of a very gruff looking man. Though he had a rough looking exterior there was something about him that made me want to get to know him. He had a very striking quality that intrigued me. I decided not to introduce myself, but just watch and observe for the time being.

I studied the mystery man, taking in everything I could from just looking at him. Though his taste in hairstyles was questionable the rest of his physique was, excuse my cliché thoughts: breathtaking. He was muscular and his apparel suited him well. I couldn't determine what colour his eyes were, but the way their dark orbs pierced through me was fascinating. _Oh shit_. Suddenly I realized he had been staring at me as long as I had been staring at him, so much for my superb observation skills. Maybe Pyro had been right about my excessive zoning out instances.

"Rogue, who's this one?" He tilted his head in my direction as he spoke. I chose to cut in and introduce myself. My father always taught me that first impressions were important, and something about this man made me want him to know that he did not intimidate me.

"My name is Wilma Hellex, but call me Will or Betwixt." I stepped forward out of the shadows and offered my hand. He gave me a condescending look and ignored my hand. "Who are you?" I tried my luck at this question although I didn't expect to get a straight answer.

"What the hell is with the name Betwixt?"

"Logan, you don't have to be rude to all of my friends." Rogue's outburst caused him to reconsider his thoughts. That's when I realized this was the Logan that Rogue talked to me so much about, the very same man that had saved her back in Canada about a year ago. Before he could speak again I was already spouting out sentences.

"So, you're the Logan that Rogue talks about so much. I mean I've only been here a month and I already know almost all of the stories about you saving her life by heart. It's nice to finally meet you. For a while I thought you were some knight in shining armour character that everyone in this school had, had intense hallucinations about."

"Well I ain't a knight in shining armour kid." He sounded dead serious as if trying to put me off from pursuing the subject any further. Just to prove that his attempts at intimidation had no effect on me I opened my mouth one more time.

"Damn, it took me forever to come up with that theory too. I guess it's back to the drawing board then. How do you feel about being the suave warrior who has the power to rescue anyone without even messing up his perfectly gelled hair?" I tried to sound as sincere and innocent as possible.

"I didn't take you for making friends with the cheeky sort, Rogue." I flashed a satisfied smile his way and turned on my heel and walked out of the hall.

"Nice to meet you Logan or should I say my suave warrior." I called back over my shoulder.

As I rounded the corner I could faintly hear Rogue telling Logan that I was normally a much more docile person. I couldn't help but smirk. Rogue had never seen me get mad. That was one of the reasons I was here, to learn to control my powers. My temper was my downfall, that and the fact that I was mostly all talk. I may be able to throw balls of deadly raw energy at people, but put me in a situation where I can't use or control my powers and I'll be begging for mercy.

I was enthralled when I learned that Professor Summers was accompanying Professor Xavier somewhere. That meant I was off the hook on my car project for the moment. With all this newfound time on my hands I went off in search of something to amuse myself with. I took off down the hall at a sprint just for the hell of it. I should have seen it coming considering this always seems to happen to me in these types of situations. With my impulsive burst of speed I found my self sprawled out on the floor almost as fast as I had taken off. I turned my head to see what poor student had been made victim of my childish, yet totally worth it urge to hurtle my self through the hallway at top speed. Sprawled out next to me was, no surprise here, Pyro. Through his muffled grumbling I could pick out quite a few curse words.

"Got somewhere important to be Blondie?" His question was partnered with a glare that simply reeked of annoyance.

"Ummm… no." I squeaked out. It was sad that I wouldn't let Logan intimidate me, but Pyro could get me every time.

"So you don't have a reason for knocking me down?" His glare was swiftly changing from a look of annoyance to a look of dominance.

"That would be correct." I stated trying to regain some of my dignity if I had any left by now.

"Well it looks like you owe me a favour." The dominance in his face continued to grow in intensity. I've known for a while now that Pyro has some sort of crush on me, but there is no way I'm letting him get any sort of upper hand in this situation.

"Look John," I used his real name so he knew I meant business, "it was an accident at least you probably won't have bruises from this, while I will." I gave him a look that was basically daring him to even try asking for a favour again.

"Just one favour. You don't even know what it is yet." What surprised me was that his cocky demeanor was depleting, leaving what seemed like a pleading little boy. Before I could even begin to mutter the word fine his lips crashed down on mine.

Pyro may have a thing for me, but to me he's always just been a friend. That's why when he kissed me I froze up. I could feel how scared and uneasy he was. He slowly pulled away and looked at me trying to mask his embarrassment.

"You do know that it's not really much of a kiss unless you kiss back." He said this trying to make light of the situation. I couldn't take it anymore. I'd never seen him so out there and vulnerable. I just couldn't stand it, so I ran. I scrambled to my feet and sprinted off in the opposite direction down the hall.

I couldn't believe what I done. I had just left him there. Why couldn't I have at least said something to him? One impulse got me into that mess in the first place and a second one had just jeopardized a friendship I had spent an entire month to working my butt off to build. I had just come to the point where I could consider Pyro a close friend maybe even a best friend. My impulses ruined everything, absolutely everything.

I felt a slight vibrating and looked down at my hands, they were glowing basically threatening to send out blasts of energy. If I didn't like him then why did he do this to me?


	4. Stunned

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything. **

I am naturally good at avoiding people, take Professor Summers for example, but John Allerdyce was proving much harder to elude. So the majority of my day was spent holed up in the dorm room I shared with Rogue. Due to my mission of avoiding Pyro, I skipped dinner and planned to join Bobby on one of his nightly ice cream escapades.

Bobby ate his ice cream while I made a sandwich at the counter. The silence between us was strange and awkward. John had obviously told him about what had happened. To make the situation even tenser Logan decided to make a surprise appearance in the kitchen.

"Doesn't anyone sleep around here?" I could tell someone was a bit on the grumpy side tonight. Bobby was trying to impress Logan, so he immediately fired back, "Apparently not," in an attempt to sound clever. Logan eyed my sandwich as I watched him warily hoping to avoid having to speak.

"You got any beer?" What kind of question is that? I mean this is a school.

"This is a school." Bobby had evidently read my mind.

"So that's a no." That was it. I have this thing, that when I haven't eaten in a long time I get really cranky and sarcastic. It's not my most attractive state of mind.

"No Logan, it's a yes. You see not only is this a school where they teach mutants to control their powers, it's also a place where underage drinking is highly expectable and encouraged." I was sad when my comment seemed to have no effect on him. Instead he just turned and looked at me, slowly increasing the intensity of his gaze. I had to do something to get him to stop looking at me. "It's a no Logan." After that he returned to searching the fridge.

"Got anything other than chocolate milk?" I rolled my eyes hoping that he would see.

"There should be some soda in the small cupboard." Trust Bobby to be the suck up. I would have at least tried to make him say please before telling him where the soda was. Logan got his soda and Bobby once again showed what a true suck up he was by cooling down it down for him. As they exchanged pleasantries I took small bites of my sandwich to keep myself from making rude comments.

"What about you?" I snapped my head in Logan's direction meeting the gaze of his smoldering, no wait, I mean totally average looking eyes. Damn, my zoning out. What had they been talking about? What was it? Oh yeah…

"My parents know about the school. My Dad helps with the extra funding, but my Mom pretends I don't exist." I think Logan sensed how touchy the subject of my parents was, so he steered the conversation back in Bobby's direction leaving me to my thoughts. I liked a man that could take control of things and could Logan ever. Whoa! I didn't even know my brain was capable of such creepy and vile thoughts. Logan was old enough to be my Dad, but still there was something about him that made him irresistible.

I was pulled out of my dream state as I noticed Logan and Bobby looking around suspiciously. All of a sudden Logan was holding an intruder by his shoulders. Siyrn's scream torn through the air causing Logan to lose control of the captive allowing him to rapidly fire his gun. I immediately dropped to the floor out of sheer instinct and quickly crawled over to where Bobby was crouched behind the counter.

Soon, enough Logan was back to beating the intruder to a pulp. His metal clad claws shot up from in between his knuckles with surprising force. Next, thing I knew he had the intruder pinned against the refrigerator and had impaled him, leaving six punctured holes in the refrigerator's steel door.

"You guys alright." The way he panted in between breathes reeked of masculinity and power. Bobby gave a timid nod while I just continued to marvel at how impressive he really was. It disgusts me, that I've become some type of lovesick puppy. I did not remember consenting to this.

We quickly moved to the hallway where we found more intruders. Logan roughly pushed Bobby back, causing him to run into me making lose my footing. I watched from the floor as he continued down the hall taking the intruders down one by one until he was out of sight.

Screams could be heard from the floors above us. Bobby gave me a hand up, and then we ran for the elevator. Once the doors opened we could see streams of students running past. As John ran by us Bobby called out, "John, where's Rogue?"

"I don't know." That answer sent Bobby sprinting in the opposite direction. I felt obligated to follow and I guess John did too, because we were sprinting next to each other trying to catch up with Bobby. As we rounded the corner we found Rogue running towards us.

"This way!" Rogue yelled. We followed her around the corner. The window at the end of the hall was blown open causing Rogue and me to scream. Our little group scrambled down another hallway in an attempt to get away. I slowly began falling behind. Shooting pains were making their way up my lag making it increasingly harder to run. I looked down at my ankle and found that one of the shards of glass form the window was lodged in my foot. I don't do well with blood and this was no exception. Right as I began to collapse I felt a sharp pain in my arm. One stun dart hit me while the other two missed, since I was already falling to the ground. My body hit the floor with a dull thud. The combination of the stunning dart and the pain in my foot were causing my vision to go blurry. I could barely make out a tall shape picking me up and running down the hall towards more screaming.

I looked up at who was carrying me and was surprised to find the face of Logan. I let out another groan as he set me down. Where the hell was he going? Suddenly he was flying over the second floor banister. I could hear the slashing of his claws and the muffled voices of Bobby, Rogue, and John.

"Where's Will?" The panic stricken voice of John could be heard above all of the rest.

"I left your girlfriend upstairs." I couldn't help, but mentally commenting that John was not, nor will ever be my boyfriend. They thundered up the stairs and I vaguely remember Logan picking me up again. Bobby led us to one of the hidden escape passages and I was swiftly passed from Logan's to John's arms. I was silently impressed that John could carry my weight. I wasn't big or anything, I was just a little smaller that Rogue, but I was still a whole year and a half older than him. Everything that happened after that was a blur. I must have blacked out, I did hit my head pretty hard when I fell, and even the lower dosage from one stun dart was getting to me.

Vibrations coursed through my body accompanied by the comforting sound of a car's rumbling engine. I craned my neck to get a good look around. We were in Cyclops's car. Trust me this thing was not meant to hold five pretty much fully-grown people. Four people sure, but five was pushing it. Especially since I was stuck in the back with John and Bobby, because Rogue needed the extra space given that her skin wasn't covered. I let out a sigh letting the people around me know that I was awake.

"Where are we going?" After saying this I took a sharp intake of air. Looking down at my ankle I saw that it was still oozing blood. I'm sure Professor Summers will appreciate the bloodstains.

"Boston." Logan answered laconically. With that I dropped back into unconsciousness. I really don't do well with blood.

**Thank you guys for all the reviews. This will be my last update for about a week, because I'm going off to camp.**

**Remember… Reviews=Joy and Hugh Jackman=Love. If you give me either one I'll be extremely happy. I'll update in a week. **


	5. Mood Swings

**Disclaimer: I still only own Will, Marvel owns the rest.**

"Turn it off! Turn it off! Damn it… I said turn it off!" My eyelids flew open only to be assaulted with the bright light. A bright light I remember asking only moments ago to be turned off.

"Hate to break it to you kid, but you can't turn off the sun." Logan's eyes were the picture of amusement. I was silently very pleased with myself for getting him to crack a smile. "You feeling any better? I took the piece of glass out of your foot and put a bandage on it." I looked down to find a poorly applied piece of gauze wrapped around my swollen looking foot.

"I'm feeling a bit better, but the real question is: Didn't Jean ever teach you how to properly put a bandage on someone's foot?" I attempted to raise one eyebrow skeptically: the key word there, being attempted. Logan just growled in reply.

The room shifted into an awkward silence. I looked at everything, trying to keep from making eye contact with Logan. I chanced a look in his direction and caught his eye. I thought about looking away, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. His hazel eyes had me in a trance. **(A/N I know Wolverine's eyes are blue in the comic, but Hugh Jackman's eyes are not… so I will be going with Hugh Jackman on this. I mean this is a movie fanfiction anyways.) **The best part was, that he wasn't looking away either.

My vision was obscured by something bright and paisley. I pulled the wretched piece of fabric from my face.

"What the hell?" I studied the bright pink mass. It looked like a clown threw up its fashion sense on it.

"I thought you might like some clean clothes." I whipped my head around to find Bobby standing in the doorway. That's when my common sense began to kick in. From what I could see I was sitting in a normal looking suburban kitchen. I vaguely remember someone mentioning Boston before I passed out so… I assumed I was in Boston.

"Where are we and whose disgusting dress is this?" I held the pink "thing" as far away from me as possible.

"Guess you didn't fill her in did you Logan." Bobby didn't wait for Logan to answer. "We're in Boston at my house, and that, "thing" was my mom's." I wrinkled my nose at the thought of wearing Bobby's mother's dress from the psychedelic hippie age.

"Well… from what I've seen of your house it's lovely, but there is no way in hell I am not wearing this dress or any dress for that matter. If you haven't noticed I have scales and horns. I need more coverage because, I'm pretty sure the general public won't appreciate this." I shoved my hand in the air pointing to my horns.

"Did Logan not give you enough pain killers or is it just that time of the month?" People may not know it, but Bobby Drake can really be an asshole sometimes. I couldn't help but to go red at the period comment. Normally I wouldn't care, but Logan was in the room.

"Can you just get me some better clothes?" I think he detected the exasperated note in my voice because; he simply sighed, nodded his head, and headed in the opposite direction.

"So Will that time of the month, is it?" I rolled my eyes at how causal Logan was being.

"Shut up! I am not on my period. God… Bobby's such an asshole." I could feel the blood rushing to my face. I'll be the first to say that red is not my colour.

"I didn't know you had that kind of vocabulary kid." I looked up to find an amused look plastered onto his face.

"Well, there's a lot more where that came from. Do I need to elaborate?" That was the thing about Logan, he made me want to snap and melt at the same time. It's fucking infuriating to say the least.

"Hey, Bobby said to give you these." Pyro walked into the room and awkwardly handed me a pair of worn out jeans and an extra-large hoodie. I took them and slowly raised them to my nose. I sniffed gently pulling my head away quickly when the smell of stale teenage boy hit my nose.

"Whom did these belong to? They smell rancid." I turned my face towards John so he could absorb the whole effect of my sour looking face.

"I'm just the delivery boy so don't give me that look." I could tell he was still sore about that whole kissing thing.

"Well at least it's better than that pink paisley mess." I muttered darkly to myself. "Anybody know where I can change?" Pyro nodded his head signaling me to follow him. I hobbled after him wincing with every step. I felt someone walk up behind me. The next thing I knew Logan was carrying me and Pyro was leading the way.

"You've been carrying me a lot lately." I turned my head to look at him.

"Don't get used to it kid." He basically growled out the entire sentence. I turned my head back around to find that Pyro had stopped walking. He was standing there watching us. I saw his eyes catch fire; the rage conveyed in his face was frightening. It was in that moment that I realized how hung up on me he was. It was that moment that I realized how much I had hurt him. That was the moment I knew I had officially broken his heart. A funny thought: John Allerdyce having a heart. I find it hard to believe myself, but he had one. He was capable of love. The question now was: what was he capable of loving?

Logan set me down gently in the bathroom that Pyro had led us to. "Call me when you're done. I'll help you get back to the kitchen." I nodded my head briefly at Logan before struggling to close the door. I gingerly slipped on the worn faded blue jeans, using a piece fabric I tore from my old shirt as a belt. It was times like these when I was proud of my resourcefulness. I then pulled on the oversized hoodie, making sure to pull up the hood so it covered my horns. I took one last look in the mirror to make sure my scales were covered. I let out a whimper when I saw my reflection. My blonde hair was a stringy mess; pieces of it were clinging to my face drawing attention to my bloodshot eyes. I splashed some water in my face and then called out to Logan. I wanted to get away from that mirror as soon as possible.

Logan carried me to the living room before dumping me on a couch. He walked back to the kitchen, leaving me with John. I let the awkward silence escalate. It filled the room weighing down the air, making it seem harder to breathe.

"What's your deal with you and Logan." He spat out the name. It was easy to see that John was not in a good mood.

"There is no deal. I don't even know him." I failed to mention how part of me wouldn't mind getting to know him.

"What does he have that I don't?" Oh, gees. I did not need this right now.

"Nothing, John. There is nothing going on between us, nor is there anything going on between me and you. So just stop with your lame-ass teenage sulking and buck up and be a man about it." Normally I'd never talk to John like that, but I was tired of being in the middle of this. I was tired of being in the middle of everything.

The atmosphere in the room turned cold after that. It was like Bobby had frozen the entire place. John wouldn't look at me. He kept his back to me and faced the wall unmoving. I wasn't sure if he was even breathing. I would have moved, but I was stranded on the couch because of my foot. Just my luck, I'm injured and stuck in a room with a guy who now hates my guts. Could this day get any better?

I attempted to entertain myself by counting all of the different picture frames littering the room, but that got old fast. So, I had to resort to whistling aimlessly. I could visibly see John's shoulders tense, but I disregarded that warning. I was right in the middle of "Old Mac Donald had a Farm" when Pyro rudely interrupted me.

"Okay Blondie, if you don't shut the." The rest of his sentence was cut off by the sound of the door opening, and believe me that shut him up.

**Don't forget… Reviews=joy and Hugh Jackman=love. Please review, I really need the feedback and the more reviews I get the faster I update. Oh, and I apologize for this mediocre chapter. **


	6. Influence

**Disclaimer: Marvel still owns everyone, but Will. **

**A/N: So… I'm still relatively new to this website, and I was wondering if anybody knew anything about getting a Beta reader. I know there's probably some type of directions somewhere, but I'm just really oblivious. If you know anything and are willing to share your knowledge just message me. **

From my spot on the couch I could see the terror in the Drake family's faces. It took me a second to figure out that they were actually looking behind me at Logan.

As I shifted my head to look in that direction my hood slipped. I wasn't fast enough to pull it back up. Mrs. Drake's scream filled the house. My horns had been seen and I felt terribly exposed.

Bobby rushed down the stairs followed by Rogue. I had no doubt he was responding to his mother's scream. I tuned out the sound of his futile attempts to explain our situation to his family. Instead of listening I opted for a more visually pleasing past time. I switched my gaze back and forth between Logan and John. I may not think of John that way, but he is undeniably cute. Well… cute may not be exactly the right word. I stared at him analyzing everything about him. No matter how long I stared I couldn't decipher a thing. Eventually the rhythmic flicking and clicking of his lighter lulled me into a pleasant stupor.

"It's actually been proven that the father passes in the mutant gene. So, it's really his fault." I had to contain a sputter of laughter at John's comment. Damn… that boy could actually be witty.

The rest of the conversation was lost on me. I was too involved in my own internal debate.

_John is in reality very cute. I have more of a chance with him then I do with Logan, but Daddy always taught me to never back down from a challenge. I really do love a challenge. _

"We have to go… NOW!" Logan barged back into the room. Funny… I hadn't even noticed he had left. He hoisted me off the couch thrusting me into John's arms. The manner in which he did it was rough, but he managed to avoid causing my injured foot any pain. I swear that man was bloody magical.

I leaned heavily on John. Hobbling, as we made it out the door. The cops were giving Logan hell about his claws. The assholes weren't even going to let him explain. That's when it happened.

A gunshot pierced the air. The bullet found its home deep within Logan's skull. He dropped to the porch floor with a dull thud.

Shouts of get down filled the empty void that was now my mind. I was still leaning on John, and he showed no signs of moving. I watched as he pulled out his Zippo lighter. I could see his mouth moving, but his words sounded like a weak gurgling noise.

A pressure was building up in my head. Logan was dead… that was my only coherent thought.

Flames crossed my line of sight. Immediately they were joined by waves of green energy. Since when did one of us make energy waves?

As I began to focus my vision I realized the waves were coming from me. I'd only ever made round balls. This was a whole new side of my mutation. It was completely fueled by an uncontrollable rage. My actions were no longer voluntary; it was all instinct.

I made the deathly green wave dance in and out of Pyro's flames. Red, yellow, and orange infused with green, creating an unstoppable deadly force. Control was no longer even a bit of a thought.

Tremors rocked through my body. I felt as though I was standing on a fault-line. My hands were vibrating, the veins running through them practically stood up, threatening to rip through my skin. Convulsions over took my body and I hit the wooden porch floor in a heap. As I lay there unable to move I felt a cool hand detach itself from my swollen and bloody ankle.

Through my hazy vision I could see the small rise and fall of Logan's chest. Relief was an understatement of the feeling that surged through my body. He was okay… he was ok? What the bloody fuck? I didn't have time to contemplate that matter any further, because Rogue jerked me up with a gloved hand and drug mo towards the Blackbird where it had landed on the Drake's lawn.

Once we made it to the Jet I managed to get out of Rogue's grasp and wobble over to Logan. I don't think he was expecting what I did next. I wrapped my arms around him, and sobbing hysterically, I hugged him. "Never do that again! You scared me so fucking much!"

"Jean, what the hell is wrong with girl? Logan's eyes widened as he looked down at me. I'm sure he found my clingy eighteen-year-old self rather scary at the time.

"From my experience in our one of our one-on-one training sessions; when Will loses control of her powers the aftermath she faces resembles that of a teenager who is under the influence." Jean answered with out hesitation.

"So you mean she's drunk off power?"

"Basically."

"Damn, kid. Wish I could get drunk that easy." Logan practically peeled me off of him and dumped me into a seat beside a man who had earlier introduced himself as Kurt Wagner.

I turned to face the man sitting next to me. When I got a look at his face, I launched my self at him, engaging in another hug. I could feel him tentatively patting me on the back. As I pulled back I lifted up my hoodie sleeve revealing my blue-scaled arm.

"I'm blue too!" A grin inched its way across my face until I was covered in a mask of happiness. I watched a smile stretch across his face also.

"I can see that Miss…?"

"Oh, my name's Wilma Hellex, but you can call me Will, or Betwixt, or some people even call me Hell, but it's better than bitch so I'm okay with it."

"Don't forget, Blondie."

"Only you call me that John, so that doesn't count."

"Well Miss Wilma it is nice to meet you. It is not often that I have the pleasure of meeting another mutant possessing blue skin."

"You're blue… and I'm blue."

"You have already said that." He looked confused by my unawareness.

After staring at Kurt I zoned out. Everything around me was fuzzy. It all looked so blurry and colorful. I started rocking back and forth humming "Yellow Submarine" by The Beatles. I could tell some people were glaring at me, but their faces were too fuzzy for me to tell who they were.

Right in the middle of my song everyone started panicking. Something was wrong.

**I'll try to get the next chapter out soon. I'm fighting an intense case of writer's block right now. It's like a brick wall that I can't stop banging my head against. Remember Reviews=Joy and Hugh Jackman=Love. Please, review I need all the encouragement and feedback I can get. **


	7. I Don't Need This

**Disclaimer: As much as I hate to say it, I own nothing. **

Something was wrong… terribly wrong. My vision was so fuzzy I couldn't make out anything. I fumbled with the buckle of my seatbelt, expecting the worst. It took me awhile to notice that I was still subconsciously humming "Yellow Submarine." I tried to keep quiet, but it was like I was no longer in control of my vocal cords. It was like I was no longer in control of anything.

I could feel the jostling of the Blackbird, but my reactions weren't my own. I felt trapped. Trapped inside myself, or shall I say a very drunk version of myself. Everything was swirling in and out of focus. My comprehension of the situation was sketchy. Every once in a while I would catch a snippet of the frantic conversation going on around me.

I was aware of the subtle change of mood in the plane. It had gone from frantic to sheer terror. I was still lost in the fog of my mind, while some strange force was manipulating me. It wasn't a frightening feeling at all. In fact not being in control was quite enjoyable. I was able to figuratively sit back and try to figure out the premise of the situation I was in.

Suddenly it was as if heat was coursing through my hands. I could feel them shaking. My head suddenly jerked down on its own accord. Flashes of green filled my vision. A headache bloomed out of nowhere, pulsing through my temples. That's when it hit me. I wasn't in control… my powers were.

Having your powers control you is often typical of young inexperienced mutants, but I've been a mutant for seven years, seven fucking years. This was just humiliating.

If I thought something was wrong before, I sure as hell knew there was something wrong now. The worst part is… that something that was wrong, well that was me. I could feel an intense pain building up at the bottom of my spine. A burning sensation flew up the expanse of my back. It felt as thought something was shifting, moving… breaking skin. The hold my powers had over me were broken by the shrill scream that rippling through my chest. If anybody noticed my pain they didn't let on. They all seemed preoccupied, by whatever was assaulting the Blackbird. The agonizing pain in my spine finally caused everything to go dark.

I woke up in a tent. I could smell blood mixed with sweat. It took me a moment to realize that I was smelling my own rancid scent. I brought my hand gingerly up to my face; it took all of my self-control to keep my fingers from shaking. I brushed away the dry blood under my nose, barely able to contain the bile building up in the back of my throat. Next I reached my hand backward and placed on my burning lower back. What I found was not what I expected… not in the least. Even so it was there, twitching and flicking on its own accord. I, Wilma Hellex had a tail. A bloody fucking tail.

I let out a whimper as it flicked past my face touching my cheek in the process. It was cold and was covered in scales ranging from black to dark navy blue. My whimper turned into an animalistic mournful howl when more shooting pain made its way up my back. With that one noise I seemed to have alerted the cavalry. Jean, Logan, and John all made their way into my tent.

"Wilma, listen to me. You are going to be okay. When you lost control of your powers your mutant gene finally manifested to its full potential. This is a normal occurrence there is nothing seriously wrong with you." The words came like a waterfall out of Jean's mouth.

"Nothin' wrong with her… the kid's got a tail." Logan grunted in true Logan fashion.

I turned to John waiting for him to put his two cents in, but he just stood there staring at my tail.

"Is it really that hideous John or do you just have a creepy tail fetish?" I meant to make my comment sound like a joke, but it came out like a whip cracking harshly down on someone's back. John swiftly turned around and walked out of the tent. I stared at his retreating form. What was that feeling in the pit of stomach? Was it longing, a longing for him to stay? God, I sure as hell hope it wasn't.

"So… I have a tail now." I raised my blood shot eyes to Jean's pitying gaze.

"Sure looks like ya do darlin'." Logan quipped smartly. I half-heartedly stuck my tongue out at him only to choke on my own scream.

My tongue was not normal. It was forked like a demonic reptile's tongue. I couldn't hold it down any longer. I barfed all over the tent floor and then proceeded to sob and gasp nearly choking on my own saliva. I couldn't handle this not now, not ever. I was not cut out for this life. I've tried to be strong, but the truth is I'm just another poser another wimp who would rather stand on the sidelines than fight.

Damn my mutation! I just want to be normal, to be looked at with approval not disgust. I repulse some of my own kind. I just didn't need this… I never did.

Jean and Logan both slowly backed out of the tent. I could see the confusion on both of their faces. I waited awhile before moving. I stood up and looked down at my pants. A hole had been ripped in the back to let my tail out, and I had various other scratches and bruises from the ride on the Blackbird, that I for the life of me couldn't remember. I ran my fingers through my hair giving up after the first five seconds. I slowly made my way out of the tent.

I walked quickly and quietly away from camp. I needed to breathe, be on my own for a while. I stumbled upon a small clearing in the trees not far from camp. I sat down in the center. My tail automatically twitched up near my shoulders and face. I shuddered involuntarily at my new appendage.

My tail flicked faster and I tensed up. I could sense a presence near me, steadily getting closer. I raised myself up so that I was now squatting on the balls of my feet ready to spring at the slightest movement.

"They make you feel inferior, don't they?"

**Reviews as always would be lovely.**


	8. Unworthy

**Disclaimer: Once again the only thing I own is Wilma, although I dream about owning the Wolverine….**

"They make you feel inferior, don't they?" The words came out of her blue lips like the hissing of a snake. I turned to look at her, letting her see the look of disgust on my face.

"So now Magneto sends you to do his dirty work? Well save your over used recruiting ploy, because you're wasting your time. I don't want a part in whatever it is that you do." As I talked my tail had begun to thrash back and forth. Whipping the air around me, all Mystique did was smile.

"Your little boyfriend seems like he would be interested in our operation."

"First of all John is not my boyfriend. People need to stop assuming that, and I don't care if he is interested. Unlike John I don't have an authority problem, I liked my life the way it was." I could feel tears streaming down my face. Curse my mutation and bloody female hormones.

"You're going to regret this decision." With that she walked quietly away. I watched her retreating form. Part of me wanted to call out to her and tell her I had changed my mind, but I knew I would never make it in the Brotherhood.

We were on our way to Alkali Lake. Magneto and John seemed to be getting pretty chummy over in the corner of the Blackbird. I still wasn't on speaking terms with anybody. Every time John would catch me looking at him he would give an icy stare that even Bobby would be proud of. I knew I needed to talk to someone when I started making bad puns during my long inner monologues. So I turned to the only person who didn't seem to be purposely avoiding my twitchy tail and me.

"So how do you do it?"

"Do vhat?" Kurt answered me with a confused look.

"Deal with everything… the way you look and how people see you?" I must have sounded desperate, because his gaze softened as he looked at me.

"I am still learning to… how you say, deal vith it. I vill never get used to ze vay zey look at me." I turned to Kurt taking in his appearance, mine in no way compared to his, and I felt a little stuck up and vain.

"That wasn't really the answer I wanted." Oh, guess what… here comes another wave of teenage hormones. I turned away from Kurt and faced the window again letting the warm tears trickle down my cheeks. I've been crying way too much in the past couple of days.

I moved my gaze back to John. It was just my luck that he chose that moment to look in my direction. His facial expression changed when he looked my way. I could see something lingering behind his glare. It looked somewhat like guilt, or maybe that was just my overly hopeful imagination talking. I mean why would he care? It's not like we were in a relationship… well not really.

They left us on the Blackbird. It's like they don't trust us to help them. Not that I really mind, it's not like I would contribute much to the whole rescue cause. I'm the only one who's happy about this arrangement. Rogue and Bobby seemed mad, but John was really on the edge.

"They don't want us to use our powers. They don't trust us, and they never will. The X-Men aren't doing anything for mutants." John flicked open his lighter as he spoke, causing the flame become larger as his volume increased.

"Shut up John, you're just blowing this out of proportion." Bobby retaliated quickly.

"It's Pyro now, and don't forget it Popsicle." His voice comes out sounding harsh.

"John this isn't you." I mumbled weakly.

"So now you wanna talk, Reptile Girl? Well newsflash, I don't care." He was up in my face now. As the syllables poured from his lips I felt my composure rapidly disintegrating.

"Don't be like this… please don't be like this." I let the tears flood freely down my face, hoping to appeal to the John I knew and had befriended, the John who had a thing for me, and the John who cared.

He opened his mouth as if to speak again, but instead walked briskly towards the back of the plane. I slowly removed myself from my seat, my tail whipping up behind me. Ignoring the warning looks from Bobby and Rogue, I too moved towards the back of the Blackbird.

He didn't hear me coming. I gently placed my hand on his shoulder, firmly pulling him around so that he was facing me. He wouldn't make eye contact with me, looking everywhere except for my face. I kept my hand on his shoulder savoring the fact that he had yet to shake it off.

"John…." My voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. He looked up at me. In movies there are those moments when you know everything is going to be okay. Those moments when the guy finally gets the girl when she realizes she's been in love with them the whole time. This was most definitely not one of those magic movie moments.

When he looked up at me I can actually admit that I was scared shitless. It seemed like there was a fire raging in his eyes, and it was burning him from the inside out. I knew I had lost John; there was only Pyro now. My hand dropped down to my side and I began to back away. His hand snapped out snagging my scaly wrist.

"Are you just going to hide from the world, Wilma? You don't deserve to be a mutant. You don't deserve the gift you were given." With that he let go of me, and turned away once more. Nothing would come out of my mouth. There were so many thoughts running through my head. I'm usually filled with snarky comebacks, but I had nothing. He was right. I was a sorry excuse for my species. It was time I stopped pretending that, that fact wasn't true.

I felt like I was trapped in a dream state as I went back to my seat near the front of the plane. I could see Rogue's sympathetic glances, and I could sense Bobby's unease. The sad thing was that neither of them were brave enough to talk to me, or stand up to John. Am I good at building lasting friendships or what?

I rested my head on my hands, willing everything to disappear. The sweet veil of sleep answered me.

_ I was falling…. Blackness was all around me. It was closing in, constricting the very life out of me. Then the black was red. I reached my hand out and when I brought it back it was the same colour. Again my surroundings changed, this time everything was a stark white. I was no longer falling, but standing upright. I reached my hand out towards the white oblivion and touched something solid. I jerked it back abruptly, and was surprised to see a red hand print staining the wall. _

_ As I took a few steps to the wall the handprint began to drip. It looked like it was bleeding. Like my touching it had inflicted some type of wound. The red droplets formed rivers of what looked like blood. I flinched, fighting back a scream. I tried to look away and close my eyes, but nothing was working. I wanted to scream, cry, throw-up and then start the cycle all over again, but my body was not reacting. _

_ The rivers of blood on the wall began to glow. At first they remained red, but they soon turned that familiar acid green that I knew all too well. They continued to drip down the wall, but now it was rivers of energy and power. Somehow this change did not seem to help my hysteric state. _

_ The green liquid pooled on the floor licking the toes of my feet. It slowly began to rise. I wanted to move, but my feet were rooted to the floor. It was rising fast now, coming just below my knees. The green seemed to be burning, dissolving me away. That's what I really wanted wasn't it? To no longer exist. But I didn't want this … not any more. It was even higher now, coating the tips of my blonde hair. I tried to scream again, but I could do nothing._

_ Suddenly everything was black again, and I was falling once more._

I woke up to the sound of someone screaming the name Jean.

A/N Oh, the drama! I'm still working out how to write dramatic scenes with out making them sound like a total soap opera. I apologize if it did end up sounding like one anyways.

So I think there is only going to be one more chapter, and then maybe a sequel. Any thoughts on that idea would be greatly appreciated. Remember reviews equal my happiness, and the happier I am the more I write…you get the picture. Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and once again PLEASE REVIEW. I don't mean to sound desperate, but well, I am.


	9. Just the Beginning

**Disclaimer: Alas, Marvel owns the X-Men, and Hugh Jackman is happily married and has children. Well, we can't all win. I do, however own Wilma Hellex. **

Jean was gone, and so was John. Everything was surreal. Logan holding back a yelling Scott, the Professor trying to calm everyone down, and the unwelcome tears that wouldn't stop streaming down my face. At this point I didn't know whom I was crying for; Jean had always been kind to me, but John had been my friend.

When we returned to the Mansion everything changed. Scott retreated into himself, Logan was even more of an asshole, and I didn't know what to do. With Jean gone the school was even more understaffed than it had been, and I was the next best thing. I was severely under qualified for the job. I mean I didn't even have a year's worth of college under my belt. The Professor gave me the easy classes, ones he knew I could teach, and bumped the other teachers up to the more advanced classes that Jean had taught.

With this new sense of responsibility I was even less happy than before, if that was even possible.

"Hey kid, get suited up, we're doin' a danger room session." Logan had been filling in for Scott a lot lately. He pretended to hate it, but everyone knew he secretly enjoyed the feeling of acceptance it gave him.

"I'm not training today." I was tired. Anyone with the basic ability to be observant could tell. I had dark circles under my eyes and I was constantly yawning.

"Will, I hate to break it to ya, but ya don't really have much of a choice." Even through his mood swings and ass like tendencies Logan had started to reach out to me. I wasn't close to him like Rogue, but I wasn't some dumb little kid anymore. I was an adult… an X-Man. I didn't mind being treated my age, but the title that came along with it was something I had wanted to avoid since my little chat with Mystique.

"Look at me Logan, I'm so tired I can't even make a sarcastic comment about you ordering me around. If I can't even do that, do you think I can fight off simulation robots and all that other shit?"

"Won't know until you try." I wanted to smack that smirk clear off his insufferable face. Okay… maybe it wasn't insufferable, just too good looking for its own good.

"I'm not joking Logan. I don't want to do this anymore. The Professor's been nothing, but kind to me, but I hate feeling obligated to put my education and life on hold to help with something for which I have nothing to give or offer. I'm not an asset to the team. Ever since that day at Bobby's house I can barely control my powers. Not to mention all these classes I'm teaching. I barely passed Algebra 2, how does the Professor expect me to teach it to a bunch of rebellious teenagers. I mean I'm practically still a teenager myself, they don't even take me seriously." That's what I've been doing lately: venting my feelings to anyone who'll listen. Ranting on and on until either they stop me or leave the room.

"I know ya got problems, but ya ain't the only one." He left me sitting in the kitchen feeling like a whiney bitch. The sad part is I am a whiney bitch, and I've done nothing to try to fix it. I felt guilty; I really had no reason to be complaining. Compared to Logan's, my life is a cakewalk; at least I know where I came from.

BAMF! Kurt entered the kitchen in a blue cloud. I didn't even bother to acknowledge his presence.

"Guten Tag, Miss Vilma. Am I right in guessing you are ze cause of Mister Logan's bad mood?" I knew he meant it as an innocent question, but having him point it out to me still stung.

"Always the observant one, aren't you Kurt. Please, just call me Will. The students call me Miss, and it just seems a bit to formal." I'd been trying to get him to call me Will for days. He was a persistent little bugger, and I think he enjoyed the look on my face every time he called me Miss.

"So you are ze source… I pity ze students who have class vith him next period." That comment brought a small smile out of me. The idea of Logan tormenting some of the more annoying students who took my math classes was not at all unappealing.

"Logan'll get over it… he always does."

"You should not torture him so. He does not need to vorry any more zan he already does. He cares about you… ve all care about you, Miss Vilma. I am sure ze Professor vould not wish to keep you here if you are unhappy. Zat is actually vhy I am here. Ze Professor is allowing me to return to Deutschland, and he suggested zat I ask you to accompany me." I didn't know what to say. The proposal of going to Germany with Kurt was strange. It was nothing that I had ever considered, but the idea of escaping New York was more than enough to grab my attention.

"I don't know Kurt. It sounds fantastic, but I don't have much control over anything anymore." As if to illustrate my point my hands started to glow green. "Do you really want to have to worry about this kind of thing happening?" I held my glowing hands in his direction.

"Your control is exactly vhy ze Professor zinks you should accompany me to Deutschland. I believe, as does ze Professor zat I vould be able to assist you in ze process of relearning to control your powers. He believes zat being avay from New York vould also be good for your morale." So the Professor had noticed my mood changes too. This was just bloody fantastic, now the Professor is worried about my mental health.

"Wow…this is a lot to process right now. Can I give you my answer later today?"

"Of course, Miss Vilma. Storm and Scott are going to fly me zere tomorrow, and I vould be grateful if you vould come vith me. I understand vhy you are hesitant to go, and I suggest you talk to Mister Logan." With that he teleported away, leaving me in a stupor. Talk to Logan… what did Kurt mean by that?

I spent the rest of the day involved in an internal debate. Going to Germany made sense, but I felt like I was betraying Logan and Rogue by leaving. I found myself outside of the Professor's office.

"You may come in Wilma." The Professor's voice brought me out of my trance. I quickly pulled open his door, and took a seat in front of his desk.

"I want to go. I… I need to go." My voice was thick with desperation.

"I was hoping you would make that decision. I think this experience would greatly improve your control." The placid smile on his face, made any discomfort that I had disappear. I nodded and walked out of his office and went straight off to packing up my room.

Early the next morning I met Kurt in the Blackbird's hanger. I decided not to tell Rogue or Logan about my leaving; both of them had enough to worry about.

"Hallo, Miss Vilma. I am glad zat you have decided to come vith me." His smile was infectious, and I was soon wearing one too. I turned around to go and put my duffel on the jet when I ran into something unnaturally hard. When I looked up my smile melted off my face.

"What are you doing here, Logan?"

"Strom and I are taking the Elf home. Ya come to say goodbye?" Should I tell him…well I guess I kind of have to, seeing as he's my ride.

"Um… well… I… I thought Scott was going with Storm." My words tumbled out of my mouth.

"Scooter is currently unable to do his duties." I could hear the malice laced within his voice.

"Are you ready to go Miss Vilma? The flight to Deutschland is not ze shortest." Logan's gaze was immediately glued to me.

"Yeah, Kurt I'm ready to take off." I hurried onto the Blackbird, and avoided making any eye contact for the rest of the seemingly endless flight.

We touched down in a forest in rural Germany. Kurt was teleporting all over the place in his happiness to be home.

"Elf, calm down, will ya." Kurt could barely stand still while I gathered all my stuff and prepared to leave the Blackbird. As I started making my way down the ramp Storm grabbed my shoulder.

"Be safe Will. I know Kurt will help you, but remember that you're always welcome to come back to us." I almost sat back down and begged Storm to take me back, but I knew the Institute wasn't the place for me to be right now.

"Thank you, Storm." I surprised the older woman by pulling her into a hug. We were never close, but I'd miss her anyways. I was about half way down the ramp when I was stopped again.

"Will." It was Logan this time. I was scared about what he would say. I considered us friends by now, and I didn't want to know his opinion on me not telling him about my plans to leave.

I turned around to face him, scared of what I would find. He was much closer to me by now almost close enough to touch. Much to my shock he pulled me to him, crushing me to his chest.

"I'm actually gonna miss ya." He held me at arms length, "Do you really want to do this?" I nodded dumbly still amazed that he was this close to me. He pulled me back to him, but he didn't hug me this time….

He placed his hand gingerly on my cheek. I was frozen unable to move. His hand was drawing my face closer and closer to him. I was stunned; I didn't know what was happening. All of a sudden his lips were on mine, and before I knew it I was kissing him back. He didn't seem freaked out or repulsed by my tongue, but I didn't really dwell on that fact.

It took me a whole thirty seconds to comprehend what I was doing. In a frenzy I was pulling away and gasping for breath.

"What do you think you're doing? I mean I've been wanting to kiss you for a long time, but what the hell was that." He covered his eyes with his hand and let out a frustrated sigh. I tried to ignore Storm's disapproving face, and Kurt's look of amusement.

"Does it really matter, Will? I just don't want you to go. Rogue needs you, and so do the other students."

"As much as it pains me to say it, you're just using me to get over Jean." A low growl passed through his lips. "But that's alright. I understand that this is a hard time for you, but I'm not the answer to your problems, Logan. No one, but yourself has the answer." I brushed my fingertips across his cheek, snatched my duffle bag off the ramp, and started my third attempt to leave the Blackbird. This time I actually made it to the ground. The comforting scents of plant-life helped calm my rapidly beating heart.

"Please, don't do this." Logan's words rang out from the Blackbird's entryway. I looked back up at him, seeing someone who was not the Logan I had first met. The person I saw now was a broken man; desperate for something I couldn't give him.

"When you're ready Logan, I'll be there, but right now I need to take care of myself… you might want to follow my example." I offered a cheeky smile; trying to bring some light feelings back to this now exceedingly awkward situation. I gave a small salute and started walking away. Kurt soon joined me, when I impulsively turned back and called out, "I'll be seeing ya, Wolverine."

fin.

A/N This story has now come to a close. I have quite a few ideas for a sequel, and would love some feedback telling me if anyone would want me to write it. I hope everyone enjoyed the story.

As always… Review, even though its over I still want to know what you have to say. Anyways, I thank everyone who has kept up with this story and put up with my slow updates, special thanks to Azalia Fallen, without who I would have given up on this story long ago.


	10. Sequel Teaser

**A/N** I noticed that a lot of people have this story on their alert lists, so they wouldn't know when the sequel was published. This is just the first tiny bit of the sequel, One More Vigilante, which will be published within the next day. The actual chapter is much longer, this little piece is meant to be somewhat of a teaser. If you liked Just a Little Bit Caught in the Middle I hope you read the sequel.

The once blue sky was now shrouded in a curtain of black smoke. This place had become my home and now… it was gone. I watched as the colourful tents turned to ash. The screams of the spectators as the flames engulfed them were worse than the aching in my lungs. I had helped as many as I could; it was too late to go back now. It was too late.

"Kurt! Get us the hell out of here." My voice was hardly more than a hoarse whisper. His strange hand wrapped around my wrist, and then we were gone.

That was two months ago. A month and a half ago I left Germany for good. Kurt put me on a cargo ship, and that was the last I'd heard from him. I've been in the State's for a while, bumming around New York City, putting off what I knew I should do. I didn't want to leave Europe, but Kurt thought it would be for the best. After witnessing the massacre at the circus we worked at in Germany I knew he was right. It was time for me to go back to my real home… back to the school.


End file.
